Midnight Club II builds on the illegal street racing fun found in the PS2 launch title Midnight Club. Like the original, it pits you against street toughs in non-linear street races in which you can earn new gear, new cars, and even new controls--you're a novice driver at the start, but by the end you're a pro who can land on all four wheels after a jump, expertly control a power slide turn, and much more. New in Midnight Club II are the presence of the police and the ability to drive a motorcycle. Much of the game consists of cruising around three large and well rendered cities: Paris, Tokyo, and Los Angeles, following a red dot on a map. The dot is a rival racer; once you track and chase them down, you flash your high beams and then you can race them. It's a clever way of giving you a warm up, keeping you immersed in the game, and best of all, teaching you the layout of each city. Racing is fun, fast, and furious. This isn't a simulation, it's an arcade-style racer--but the physics system is internally consistent so it feels more realistic than it actually is. Rockstar has put a premium on keeping you in control, keeping the thrill-factor high, and giving you a heart-stopping sense of speed. The graphics are fantastic and the cities are incredibly detailed. As a counter-point, the voice acting is just plain awful. Midnight Club II offers a wide range of game modes, ensuring it will be playable for a long time to come: career, mission, and a mode that lets you just jump into a race. Multiplayer is possible in hot seat mode. All of this makes Midnight Club II a great addition to any video game racing fan's library. --Bob Andrews

Features:- Race on American streets in San Diego, Atlanta, Detroit and more - you'll go faster than ever on much longer streets, reaching insane speeds- Get from checkpoint to checkpoint while you outmaneuver aggressive computer-controlled rivals - or even more aggressive human racers, in online mode- Car crashes are painfully realistic, thanks to the new cutting-edge damage modeling - watch as you expensive, fancy ride turns into a smoldering husk- New Garage Mode for adding high-end customization to your racing machine- Add style to your ride, with wheels customized with parts from Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Ducati and more